Triangle Square turn around will draw customers

Of all the issues facing the city of Costa Mesa, the revitalization

of Triangle Square has to be high on the list.

The downtown shopping and dining center seems to have been

troubled by the start.

There are certainly some success stories at Triangle Square.

Barnes & Noble and the Yard House come to mind immediately.

But it’s hard to deny the obvious. Stores come in and stores go

out, way before their prime.

Over the last year or so, the center has lost Whole Foods market

and North Face clothing store, and seemingly popular eateries like

Sfuzi, Pain du Monde and La Salsa have gone out of business as well.

Store officials seem to constantly deal with a turnover in staff,

evidenced by the recent appointment of Mary Korkodian as the new

operation manager, replacing Stephanie Demartinis, who hadn’t been in

her position all that long either.

City leaders scratch their heads as to what could be the problem.

Lots of theories abound. Could the parking structure be too

unwieldy and narrow? The traffic on Newport Boulevard too difficult

to navigate through? Or is the center difficult to navigate itself?

For toppers, critics say the management has been unsteady and

unfocused.

So what to do?

Triangle Square is clearly too important to let it die on the

vine. It couldn’t have better visibility and its majestic Niketown

facade is well known throughout Orange County and beyond. And just as

there are some who say the structure itself is flawed, there are

others who dispute that notion altogether.

Despite all this hand-wringing, it appears that changes are

already happening at the center.

David Yoon, the leasing director for Triangle Square Investment

LLC, has reportedly laid out a plan for his staff to come up with

100% occupancy by next summer.

Yoon promises that a Beverly Hills-based steakhouse is on the way

and his stated goal is to bring in “diverse, destination-oriented

tenants.”

Center officials reportedly are also planning a bar lounge and

construction is underway on Fugu Restaurant, set to open by New

Year’s Eve. A sign for the new tenants and the square and a water

fountain in the middle of the top level and a big tent or awning

project are also possible additions, officials say.

This is encouraging news.

All that we, city officials and the residents of Costa Mesa want

to see is that the management of Triangle Square is paying attention.

Paying attention to the customers and residents it serves.

If that happens, we are confident the rewards will come and

Triangle Square’s problems will long be a thing of the past.